Thanks to its location amid the serene Ozark mountains, Northwest Arkansas offers a wide variety of activities to those seeking outdoor adventure. There are many great trails, lakes, and national parks that you can enjoy within proximity. However, the plethora of options can make it challenging for outsiders to know where to begin.
Here are five outdoor things, not hiking and biking, that Northwest Arkansas can offer you:
- Frisbee Golf
- Climbing
- Kayaking and Swimming
- Paragliding and Hang Gliding
- Golf
Over the rest of this article, I will tell you why Northwest Arkansas is a great place to explore each of these activities and point you in the direction of some great locations that you can check out for yourself.
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1. Disc Golf
Don’t sweat it if you haven’t heard of frisbee golf yet. It’s pretty much what it sounds like. It’s also great fun, whether you know how to throw a frisbee or not. Ultimately, frisbee golf is just an excuse for friends to hang out over a few drinks and enjoy each other’s company in the great outdoors.
Every town in Fayetteville has several different frisbee golf courses that offer a wide range of experiences depending on what you are looking for. I’ve counted 18 frisbee golf courses in the area, varying from wide-open spaces to more uneven terrain dotted with trees.
One particular course in the Walker Park area of Fayetteville called Waxhaws Disc Golf Course is practically a maze of trees. The trees are a constant obstacle, and the terrain makes playing uniquely challenging. Look into Waxhaws Park if you are the type that likes to up the ante on their day off.
If you’re alone or don’t yet have a lot of friends in the neighborhood, you’ll find plenty of options to team up with other players. There are both laidback and competitive teams active in the area. You’ll find many groups on Facebook or Meetup that will help you connect with other players and make some new friends.
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2. Climbing
When you think of Northwest Arkansas, you think of the Ozarks. It’s true – there are a lot of mountains in the area, making it an ideal spot for climbers to enjoy. Depending on your experience level and how much you want to push yourself, there are some excellent options to look into.
If you’re relatively inexperienced and just starting out climbing outdoors after exploring climbing indoors, Lincoln Lake, only 20 minutes outside Fayetteville, has some great rock faces that you can access very easily.
About an hour and a half to the east, past Beaver Lake, there are a couple of more challenging rock faces for more seasoned climbers to explore. Sam’s Throne is particularly popular among this crowd.
If you can’t take the time to head out of the city, NWA also houses two climbing gyms within city limits.
The Ozark climbing gym, located in Springdale, and Climb Bentonville, located in Bentonville, offer memberships, classes, and other great opportunities to make climbing a part of your regular life.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
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3. Kayaking and Swimming
Because of the many rivers and lakes in the region, Northwest Arkansas offers fantastic opportunities for getting out on the water. In addition, there are many idyllic locations where you can enjoy kayaking and swimming in particular.
To get you started, here’s a list of a few water bodies you can expect some great kayaking or swimming at:
- Buffalo River
- Mulberry River
- Illinois River
- Kings River
- Siloam Springs
Located just west of Fayetteville, close to the Oklahoma border, Siloam Springs is a great place to start kayaking. It offers easy access to rapids, where you can test your kayaking skills before heading out to more challenging environments.
Beaver Lake, located on the east side of NWA, is another attractive option to enjoy swimming, boating, and kayaking. It even offers excellent fishing, but that’s a story for another day and another article.
4. Paragliding and Hang Gliding
Paragliding and hang gliding are slightly underexplored activities in Northwest Arkansas, but they always offer a fantastic time. For the more adventurous among you, they’re well worth checking out as the thrill you get from them is simply out of this world.
Jumping off a mountain in a parachute and gliding down to a plain might sound scary at first, but it sure gets the adrenaline going. Also, the sights from up there are truly spectacular. Hang gliding is similar but uses a glider instead of a parachute.
The mountains along the south of NWA offer great take-off points for paragliding and hang gliding, with good flight paths down to the plains. On your way down, you’ll be able to enjoy fabulous views of the surrounding countryside, making the trip particularly memorable.
Of course, unless you know what you’re doing, you will need proper gear, instruction, and assistance. If you decide that paragliding or hang gliding is the sport for you, there is a local company that will help you with all of that.
If you’re the kind that enjoys daredevilry, then this is something you just have to try out.
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5. Golf
Finally, Northwest Arkansas has some of the finest golf courses in America.
Its varied landscapes cover a range of elevations and inclines that can be challenging or serene, maybe even both simultaneously. The region is also dotted with scenic water bodies and vegetation that have been carefully exploited in designing some truly dazzling golfing greens over the years.
I’ve personally played on several of the Chicagoland courses in Illinois, and they’re great, of course. However, there’s something unique about playing in the settings that NWA provides that I find tremendously exhilarating, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Between the mountains and the plains, over 18 locations offer a varied and rich golfing experience in the region.
Some places have a membership, where you pay upfront for a year’s worth of golf. These membership deals are an excellent option if you are a regular player, as you can keep playing through much of the year.
However, there are also places where you can just pay at the gate, play 18 holes and then leave. So, if you’re just thinking of getting into the game, want to check a course or club out, or only play occasionally, there’s scope for that in NWA.
There’s no reason you can’t step out onto a green wherever you are in the region. Whatever you’re looking for, Northwest Arkansas has got something for you.
